Books

Reclaim Compassion: The Adoptive Parent's Guide to Overcoming Blocked Care with Neuroscience and Faith  
by Lisa C. Qualls and Melissa Corkum

Is your adoption journey turning out differently than you imagined? You had so much love to give, but now you feel ashamed and bewildered by your lack of compassion.

You may be experiencing blocked care—a self-protective mechanism in your nervous system that makes it difficult to connect with your child and maintain compassion. When it happens, it’s like your heart seems to have left the relationship. But the good news is you are not a bad parent. You can heal from blocked care, and compassion can be rekindled in your heart.

Reclaim Compassion answers the questions, “How did this happen?” and “Will it ever get better?” You’ll recognize yourself in the honest stories from the authors and other parents and come to realize that you are not alone.

Rooted in faith and backed by neuroscience, this practical and powerful guide offers a simple step-by-step process for reclaiming compassion for your child and yourself.

Foundations for Overcoming and Preventing Blocked Care 
by Lisa C. Qualls and Melissa Corkum

The eight-session program for helping parents reclaim compassion. This curriculum is written with professionals, agencies, and group leaders in mind. However, parents are welcome to check it out, too! Starting a group is easy and requires no additional training.

Faith, Hope, & Connection: A 30-Day Devotional for Adoptive and Foster Parents
edited by Lisa C. Qualls and Melissa Corkum

Are you a foster or adoptive parent needing hope for this complex and sometimes lonely journey?
Do you love your kids but feel discouraged?
Are you misunderstood by people around you?

In Faith, Hope, & Connection: A 30-Day Devotional for Adoptive and Foster Parents, you’ll find:

  • Real, often raw, stories from adoptive and foster parents in the trenches;
  • Scripture and faith-filled hope, pointing you to Jesus;
  • Honest reflections speaking courage to your soul and reminding you that you are not alone.

This devotional is a gift to you from 30 authors, all foster and adoptive parents, who offer a window into their own lives and families. You’ll recognize yourself time and time again in their words. Faith, Hope, & Connection: A 30-Day Devotional for Adoptive and Foster Parents is a treasure-trove of wisdom and grace for foster and adoptive families.

The Connected Parent: Real-Life Strategies for Building Trust and Attachment
by Karyn Purvis PhD and Lisa C. Qualls

Parenting under the best of circumstances can be difficult. And raising children who have come to your home from “hard places,” who have their own set of unique needs, brings even more challenges. You may have discovered that the techniques that worked with your birth children are not working with your adopted or foster child.

Renowned child-development expert Dr. Karyn Purvis gives you practical advice and powerful tools you can use to encourage secure attachment in your family. You will benefit from Karyn’s decades of clinical research and real-world experience. Coauthor Lisa Qualls demonstrates how you can successfully implement these strategies in your home, just as she did in hers.

You will learn how to simplify your approach using scripts, nurture your child, combat chronic fear, teach respect, and develop other valuable tools to facilitate a healing connection with your child.
The Connected Parent will help you lovingly guide your children and bring renewed hope and restoration to your family.